Venezuela's Government
Goes Into Food Business

CARACAS, Venezuela -- President Hugo Chavez is turning his populist government into Venezuela's biggest grocer.

This week, the leftist ex-paratrooper inaugurated the first three of a planned 100 government food stores in poor neighborhoods. By year end, Mr. Chavez expects the outlets will provide about $850 million worth of low-cost foodstuffs like rice, beans and cooking oil to one-third of Venezuela's 24 million people.